Anodized aluminum cap and branch of service insignia



March 25,- 1969 P. J. CONNOLLY 3,434,941

- ANODIZED ALUMINUM CAP AND BRANCH OF SERVICE INSIGNIA Filed May 5, 1965 FIG. 1

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INVENTOR.

PATRICK .1. CONNOLLY ATTORNE)/S United States Patent 3,434,941 ANODIZED ALUMINUM CAP AND BRANCH OF SERVICE INSIGNIA Patrick I. Connolly, Medfield, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed May 3, 1965, Ser. No. 452,946 Int. Cl. C2311 9/02; 1344c 1/04 US. Cl. 204-35 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an ornamental device and more particularly to a cap and branch of service insignia of the type frequently used with uniforms.

Traditionally military type uniforms have included ornamental devices made of a base metal such as brass and usually plated with a precious metal such as gold or silver. In addition to the cost of the precious metal used in plating these devices, the finish obtained is very difiicult to maintain in good appearance, especially where the uniforms are used in proximity to salt water or other corrosion-inducing atmospheres.

In recent years methods have been devised for treating aluminum with an anodizing process which, with the assistance of special dyes, provides a finished article closely approximating the appearance of a precious metal-plated article. Such an anodizing process, when applied to ornamental devices, results in aluminum devices which a casual observer cannot distinguish from precious metal-plated devices. However, in the process of anodizing aluminum devices it is necessary to expose the devices to acidic solutions which may cause non-uniform acceptance of dyes by the anodically oxidized surface on the aluminum if the acid is not thoroughly rinsed from all parts of the devices. Thorough rinsing also prevents subsequent corrosion and formation of salts in the crevices and consequent dulling of the appearance of the devices.

In the manufacture of cap and branch of service insignia currently used by the Armed Forces, problems have been encountered in attempts to take advantage of the great economy and more lasting finish of anodized aluminum. Such insignia usually comprise a backplate and an indicia-bearing front piece mounted on the backplate and held firmly in contact with the front face of the backplate. Also, such insignia are usually provided with a pair of pins extending from the reverse face of the backplate by means of which the insignia are attached to the fabric of a service cap or other portions of a uniform and held in place by means of a pair of clutch fasteners fitted over the ends of the pins after the latter are forced through the fabric. In the application of the anodizing technique to insignia made in this manner it has been found that some of acid required in the anodizing process becomes entrapped in the narrow space between the front piece and the backplate. This acid seeps out during the subsequent dyeing step and causes non-uniform dyeing of the insignia which are thus made unsuitable for use. Because of this problem insignia of this type are manufactured in aluminum by anodizing the front piece and backplate prior to assembly and then, through the use of great care to preserve the finish, assembling as described above. However, such a procedure markedly increases the cost of the finished insignia over the cost. when the insignia are assembled prior to anodizing and then are subjected to the anodizing and dyeing procedure. Furthermore, there is a greater incidence of damage to the exposed anodized and dyed surfaces of the insignia when the parts are first anodized and dyed separately and then assembled than when the assembled insignia are anodized and dyed as a unit because of the mechanical handling involved during assembly of the insignia.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an ornamental device which can be anodized after assembly without danger of producing a non-uniform product due to acid seepage. Another object is to provide a simple means for effecting the drainage and removal of acid and rinse water during the anodizing of an assembled ornamental device of the type described without affecting the normal appearance of the ornamental device.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing means for the passage of fluids through the space between the front piece and the backplate of an ornamental device of the type described such that this space may be rinsed free of acid or other material during the processing of the ornamental device.

The invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like parts in all views and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view in elevation of an ornamental anodized aluminum insignia, such as those applied to uniforms of US. Army personnel.

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional view of the insignia of FIGURE 1 along the line 2-2, with a clutch fastener (not in section) shown in operational position on one of the pins of the insignia.

FIGURE 3 is a back view in elevation of the front piece of the insignia of FIGURE 1 prior to assembly with the backplate and anodizing.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the front piece 10 is stamped from a sheet of aluminum, for example, 0.070" thick, with the desired indicia 11 embossed on the front thereof. The force used in stamping the front piece is provided with indentations into which some of the aluminum is forced forming rivet 12 more or less centrally located in the reverse face of the front piece and two generally hemispherical projections 13, approximately 0.003" to 0.005 high, spaced one to each side of rivet 12. The rivet has a square base 14 and a shank portion 15 for a purpose to be described.

A backplate 16 is blanked out of a sheet of aluminum, for example, 0.040" thick, with a square hole 17 in the approximate center thereof to receive the square base 14 of rivet 12 in a manner to be described.

An attaching plate 18 is blanked out of a sheet of aluminum, for example 0.015" thick, with a hole 19 approximately in the center thereof of such diameter as to accommodate the shank portion 15 of rivet 12. The attaching plate 18 also has a hole 20 formed near each end thereof to receive pins 21. Each hole 20 is provided with a countersink 22 to accommodate the heads 23 of pins 21.

The assembly of the ornamental device is accomplished by inserting a pin 21 through each of the holes 20 so that the head of the pin is seated in countersink 22, holding backplate 16 against attaching plate 18, and bringing front piece 10 into position on backplate 16 so that rivet 12 passes through square hole 17 in backplate 16, the square base 14 of the rivet being engaged therein, and through hole 19 in attaching plate 18. With the front piece, backplate, and attaching plate held in close association and with pins 21 held perpendicular to backplate 16, the shank of rivet 12 is peened to form rivet head 24, which holds attaching plate 18, backplate 16, and front piece 10 in assembled form ready for anodizing.

Following assembly of the ornamental device, the outside surfaces of the front piece and backplate are polished by means of a polishing wheel as needed to produce the desired finish. A group of the polished devices is then placed on titanium metal racks and subjected to a degreasing and etching operation in 5% caustic soda solution at 150 F. for 510 seconds. Following rinsing, the devices are then electropolished for approximately 60 seconds, the time depending on the solution employed and the degree of electropolishing desired. The devices are then subjected to an anodizing operation in a bath of aqueous sulfuric acid solution at 6875 F. for minutes, applying a current density of about 0.1 ampere per square inch. The devices are then thoroughly rinsed in clear water agitated by air. The thoroughly rinsed devices are then dyed in an appropriate solution to attain the desired color. For example, the appearance of gold plating can be produced by using a mixture of Yellow G3 LW and Red B3 LW in aqueous solution, in proportions selected to match the shade desired, at pH 56, for approximately 3045 seconds dyeing time. The excess dye bath is rinsed off and the dyed devices are then sealed by immersion in an appropriate solution such as a nickel cobalt acetate solution at 195200 F. for 30- '60 minutes, the time depending on the temperature employed. The sealed devices are then rinsed and dried and are ready for use.

The generally hemispherical projections 13 on the reverse face of front piece 10 insure enough clearance between the front piece and the backplate to permit acid and rinse water to flow freely between the front piece and the backplate. In this manner, the acid used in anodizing the aluminum device is readily and completely removed during the rinsing step and the device is left in condition to accept the dye or dye mixture uniformly over all surfaces that will be seen when the device is applied to a garment.

The projections 13 may be varied as to number, location, shape, and height, depending on the type and configuration of front piece and backplate used in the device. It will normally be preferable to provide at least two projections so that the space between the front piece and the backplate will be maintained relatively uniform, thus assuring effective rinsing of acid from all surfaces which will be seen during use of the device and also to maintain relative stability and good appearance of the front piece of the device. However, a single projection may be adequate in some cases, and it may be advantageous under certain circumstances to form a single projection either connected with or in close proximity to the square portion of the rivet in the embodiment described above. Location of the projections may be varied as desired and found appropriate to effect cooperation between the front piece and the backplate in producing adequate flow and drainage of fluids. Shape and height of the projections will preferably be such as to maintain substantially uniform spacing of the front piece from the backplate around the peripheral edge of the front piece in order to provide a uniform appearance of the device during use thereof. The generally hemispherical shape has the advantage of substantially point contact with the backplate thereby reducing the possibility of entrapped fluids to the absolute minimum.

A conventional clutch fastener 25 is provided for attachment to each pin 21 after passage of the pin through a fabric or other portion of a uniform with which the insignia is being used. The clutch fasteners may be made of anodized aluminum or other material, as desired.

While the invention has been described in terms of ornamental devices having an indicia-bearing front piece and a backplate serving as a background for the front piece, it is to be understood that it may be applied to other types of ornamental devices, for example, to devices having a front piece, a middle piece, and a backplate or a plurality greater than three of indicia-bearing pieces and supporting backplates, particularly devices which require treatments in the assembled condition with chemical agents in fluid form which may produce non-uniformities if the fluids cannot flow freely between the several layers. It is also to be understood that the invention may be applicable to ornamental devices made of metals other than aluminum. However, it will be particularly advantageous in the manufacture of anodized aluminum ornamental devices such as insignia used by military personnel.

As a result of this invention, it is now possible to produce ornamental aluminum devices of the type desired, anodized after assembly, which will be uniformly dyed and free of corroded spots or deposits of salts adjacent to crevices in said devices. Ornamental devices, particularly gold-simulating ornamental devices for uniforms, will have a greatly improved appearance because of this invention. The cost of uniforms will also be reduced since the invention removes the remaining practical obstacle to the substitution of truly low cost anodized aluminum ornamental devices for gold-plated ornamental devices in uniforms, namely the unevenness of the application of the dye or dye mixture when the devices were anodized after assembly.

In addition to the embodiment described herein, various modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In the method of making an ornamental insignia of the type having an indicia-bearing aluminum front piece permanently mounted on an aluminum back plate, wherein the reverse face of the front piece is norm-ally adapted to be held in close contact with the front face of the back plate, and wherein said insignia after the permanent assembly thereof is anodized, rinsed and dyed in that order; the improvement therein which comprises the step of providing means located between the reverse face of said front piece and said backplate for maintaining a separation between said front piece and said backplate so that fluids used in anodizing, rinsing and dyeing said insignia may pass freely between said front piece and said backplate, whereby said insignia is uniformly anodized and dyed on all surfaces thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said means located between the reverse face of said front piece and said backplate comprise at least one projection on the reverse face of said front piece.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said means constitutes a plurality of spaced projections.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said means constitutes a plurality of spaced substantially herispherical projections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,950,096 3/1934 Yeager 204-297 XR 2,011,328 8/1935 Tuttle 2045 2,572,838 10/1951 Cohn 204-23 3,053,749 9/1962 Holfert 204-297 3,257,308 6/1966 Cotton 204--297 3,223,599 12/1965 Taylor 204- 15 HOWARD S. WILLIAMS, Primary Examiner.

W. B. VANSISE, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

